Workers struggle to plug leak as 100-year-old Battleship Texas floods

June 13, 2012: Norman Snipe climbs out of a tank on the port side of the USS Texas after repositioning a pump hose in Houston. The 100-year-old battleship's hull sprung a leak five days ago and has been taking on as much as 1,000 gallons of seawater every minute as workers struggle to contain it.
(AP)

LA PORTE, Texas – Workers are pumping out dozens of gallons of oil-laced water after the 100-year-old Battleship Texas flooded over the weekend.

Staff arrived Saturday and immediately noticed something was wrong. The vessel on the Buffalo Bayou was sitting awkwardly in its slip. She was lower in the water and listing to the left.

The situation was so dire by Sunday that the ship's caretaker, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, had to find more pumps to help remove the water.

Ship manager Andy Smith said he hopes the oil will be completely removed by late Wednesday, so the crew can start looking for the cause of the leak.

The ship that fought in World Wars I and II is now a museum. Parts of it remain open while workers pump out water.